The Funeral
by VivianeAeryn
Summary: A parent was suppose to love their kid no matter what and help them through anything. Not throw them out because you didn't want to deal with it.
1. The Funeral Chapter 1

**Title:** The Funeral

**Rating:** T or PG-13

**Summery:** A parent was suppose to love their kid no matter what and help them through anything. Not throw them out because you didn't want to deal with it. She gave a mental shrug, but that was the past and the past was now buried and she could now get on with her new family.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own these characters.

**A/N:** Okay, I have made some changes, worked on some grammar and some spelling and worked a couple of more words in here and there, its not anything to noticeable but it was something that I had to do, I mean I just had to fix some of it.

* * *

"My. God. Will it ever END?" Jubilee whined to Marie and she just rolled her eyes. "You said you wanted to come. I gave you plenty of opportunities to bail. So now you're stuck and shut up, before someone comes over and tells us to shut up." Jubilee gave a chuckle and flexed her hand and said, "Yeah, and then I'll fry their ass."

"I'm hungry." Came Kitty's voice out of the blue. Marie and Jubilee stifled their giggles by bearing their faces into their hands. Their shaking shoulders made it look like they were crying.

_'I can't believe the disrespect they are showing! Its her father's funeral, she should be mourning him and she's laughing with the girl in the god awful yellow.'_ Marie's mother, Mrs. D'Ancanto silently shook her head. She always wondered what had happened to her daughter, and now she was more curious. When she had sent the letter to the place where Marie said she was living she thought it was a school but the car they pulled up in was not cheap.

A jag was what they arrived in and with a gruff looking man she thought was a bodyguard, was beginning to look like anything but that. The time they had been here, he was always by her side, she thought he had a death wish because he was always touching her. His fingers in her hair, a hand rubbing up and down her arm and a hand at the small of her back and always playing with the chain around her neck. They had been in Mississippi for four hours and she finally caught a look at the necklace, it was dog tags; the kind people in the army wear, it said Wolverine and had a number.

But she found something else strange; her daughter was always leaning into the man, always by his side, holding his hand. They were almost possessive of each other. She remembered the first time Marie's mutation showed up she shunned all bodily contact. She was pulled back to the conversation when Kitty spoke.

"What?" Kitty asked, she couldn't figure it out. She hadn't said anything and she knew they were laughing at her. "Your hungry?" Jubilee questioned. "I said that out loud?" The look on her face was one of horror.

Marie nodded her head 'yes' and then said; "I'm hungry too. I want stake."

"I want Pizza" Jubilee announced.

"Hot dogs and French fires." was Kitty's answer. Everyone remained silent as they contemplated on what they wanted to eat.

_'Finally they're quite.'_ Mrs. D'Ancanto thought. Her mind against its will, was pulled back to the conversation she just heard. Her daughter wanted meat? Before she left she was only a veggie eater. And then one in the yellow? Jubilee? Can she put people on fire? And what about the gruff one, was he a mutant too? Even the shy brunette one? She suddenly wished she knew more about her daughter's life, so she continued to listen.

"I'm thirsty." Marie said. "Me too." Came an answer from the gruff man.

"Vanilla Coke." "Root beer float." "Beer." Came two replies.

_'Beer? Now she drinks beer?'_ Was Mrs. D'Ancanto wildly thought.

Logan and Kitty and Jubilee looked at her and she gave a sheepish smile and said "Craving," as if that explained everything. " Hey, Wolvie you let her drink?" Jubilee questioned. "No and she won't until she's of the drinking age." he practically growled out. "Hey! Why not? You know, its your fault I have these cravings." she complained. But her mother noticed she was smiling while she said this and Marie had snaked an arm around his waist and he pulled her closer, if possible.

She listened to them and then silence lasted for a few more minutes and then:

"Damn it! Why does it have to be sooooooo hot!" Jubilee complained...again. " You wanted to get away from Storm and the cold front she was causing." Kitty pointed out. "Yeah, I know but I didn't think it would be this hot! You know, just because she found out Remy was cheating on her doesn't mean she has to punish the rest of the state of New York. Remind me to kill Gambit next time we see him." Marie gave a deep sigh. "Where's Bobby when you need him?"

"You know Rogue, you could have persuade the Iceman to come. Then maybe he could make snow cones for us." Kitty said. Logan, Marie and Jubilee looked at her and the sounds of muffled laughter could be heard. They got a glare from the priest and few family members, which they ignored.

"You should have done it Shadow Kat. We all know you LLLOOOVVVEEE him." Taunted Jubes, and again they fought down laughter at the shade of red Kitty's face turned.

_'Rogue, Wolvie, oh Wolverine got it, Shadow Kat, Iceman, Gambit. Are these code names?'_ All of a sudden Mrs. Knight made up her mind. She was to weak to stand up to her husband when he threw Marie out, she was going to fix that mistake and see if she could forgive her and perhaps become, dared she hope, friends at least.

"So did you finally visit Magneto?" Kitty asked. The three girls ignored the growl that came from Wolverine. "Yeah, I asked him why me, and he said 'My dear child, why do you ask questions to which you already know the answer to?' Ohhh, he was so lucky that the entire room was plastic. If I knew the damned answers I couldn't be asking the damned questions! So I asked him was it really necessary to kill me...Hey, they're finished. " Marie declared.

"Oh Thank the gods." Jubilee said dramatically. Marie knew she should be more respectful, but she couldn't find any respect for her father. A parent was suppose to love their kid no matter what and help them through anything. Not throw them out because you didn't want to deal with it. She gave a mental shrug, but that was the past and the past was now buried and she could now get on with her new family.


	2. The Funeral Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**A/N:**See first chapter for disclaimer and summery.

* * *

"So, like where are we going?" Kitty questioned and Marie gave a deep sigh."Now we have to go back to the house and have a little after funeral party." She didn't sound happy at that thought. Logan came up behind her and placed a hand on the back of her head and she automatically leaned into his body. "We don't have to go if you don't want to, you know." Marie gave a small smile. "No, I want to. I want to get some things out of my room." She heard him whisper, "Okay."

"So there WILL be food there right?" Again this came from Kitty and they all laughed at her. She gave an indigent look. "What I can't help it if I'm hungry." Jubilee gave an indelicate snort. "For a minute there I thought they were going to ask us to leave."

"Well, its not our fault we found some things funny and they act like..." Marie was cut off when Logan said "Act like One-Eye." Smirk firmly in place. "Well, yes, but you could be a little nicer to him." Marie reprimands him. This time it was Logan that gave a snort.

"The day that boy can shave is the day I'll cut him some slack." He retorted. She knew what he was referring to. Scott always looked like he never grew a beard and he looked no older than three girls did. She once told Jean that she should suggest that she talk him into growing some stubble so Logan would quite picking on him.

Logan reached into his pocket for his car keys and opened the passenger door and helped Marie into the car and then unlocked the rest of the car and waited for the other two to get in before heading over to the driver side and got in himself.

Jubilee reached up from the backseat to change the radio station. "Don't even think about, Banana" Logan warned and Marie hid her face by looking out the window. Logan often commented on how all the yellow Jubes wore made her look like a banana. Jubes hated all rock and roll but she and Logan loved it. A trait she was sure of that be longed to him. Jubes and Kitty were more the pop music sort.

"Awe! Come on, man! We have been listing to this music since we got here, its time to switch." She complained. "Any more complainin' and y'all don't eat." He threatened. The two girls sat back with a huff. Unseen to them Logan slid his hand over to Marie's and reached for her hand. She twined her fingers with his and gave his hand a squeeze.

Mrs. D'Ancanto watched her daughter and her friends as they made their way to the car they drove. Marie looked happy with her new friends, that thought she couldn't deny. She saw the way the man acted with Marie and the way she seem to lean into him unconsciously. And she felt a little envy when she saw that he opened the car door for her and waited for her to get in. She thought back and realized the only time her husband did that for her was when she was in labor with Marie and the had finally reached the hospital.

The interaction between her daughter and her friends made the decision to get re-acquainted with her daughter more stronger and she worked on strengthening her courage.


	3. The Funeral Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**A/N:** See first chapter for disclaimer and summery. Also, I pretty much ignore what happened at the end of X-Men 1, so...ha.

* * *

As the car pulled into the drive where Marie once lived, she had a sudden urge to flee. She knew it was stupid but she couldn't help it. If her own parents couldn't stand to a have a 'freak' for a daughter how would the rest of her family handle it?

"Are you sure you want to go in?" Logan asked her softly as they reached the porch. He had seen the apprehensive look on her face.

"Yeah." She whispered. She then cleared her throat and said, " I told my mama that we would go to my room and not bother anybody." Kitty had a horrified look on her face.

" We can come down to eat right?" She sounded close to begging. Marie and Jubes laughed. "Yes you can come down to eat."

Mrs. D'Ancanto was standing behind the front door and listing to her daughter's conversation and nearly laughed at Kitty. She then quickly squared her shoulders and smoothed out her dress and opened the front door.

"Would you like to come in," she asked politely. Marie nodded her head but Jubes on the other hand, "Hell yea! It's to damn hot out there. I don't know how you people don't melt on the spot."

Marie noticed that her mom looked a little taken aback at Jubes announcement. Couldn't say she wasn't surprised. Cussing wasn't allowed at home. "Jubes? Go on up to my room. It's up the stairs the third door on the left and the bathroom is the second door on the left."

Jubes nodded her head and just when she was half way up the stairs she heard Kitty's voice " Oh, thank god! I soo need a bathroom like you wouldn't _believe_." She knew Kitty was lying. She just wanted to give Rogue and her mom some time alone. Fat chance, As if Wolverine would ever leave her side.

At the front door there stood Mrs. D'Ancanto, Marie and Wolverine. Marie looked at her mom, "Excuse us for a minute." And she moved at her mama's 'okay'.

Marie led Logan over to a corner, "Will you please go on up to my room?" Logan shook his head. "No. I'm not leaving ya." Marie gave a small smile and put her hands on his chest and tilted her head to the side.

"Please Logan? I just want to have a word with my mother, Okay?" Unconsciously Logan's left arm wound its way around her waist with his hand at the small of her back. He shook his head. "No. I don't trust 'em. I'll stand over here while you talk to her."

Marie gave a defeated sigh and with out thought laid her head on his chest and Logan's other arm came around her. "All right. Just stand here and try not to scare everybody." Logan, thinking nobody could see them, dropped a kiss on her head.

Unknown to him a newly single Aunt in her thirties and few assorted family members were watching them, but looked away quickly was they pulled apart from the hug.

Mrs. D'Ancanto watched her daughter and this Wolverine and she felt as if she was a peeping tom. She guessed that they thought that they were far enough for her not to hear but they weren't and she could hear them. Marie called him Logan and not Wolverine, it must be a nickname. He seemed as if she was going to disappear on him and she had to wonder again what happened to her daughter the past year and a half.

Marie pulled reluctantly from the hug and walked over to her mother. "Sorry about Jubilee. It takes a while but you get used to her. Like an acquired taste." Her mother gave a small smile and said, "I guess so. I'm just not used to people talking like that."

Marie took a deep breath, "So, how are you holding up?" She had to ask that question. Even though her parents threw her out she still loved her Mama.

"I'm doin' okay. Your father and I haven't seen eye to eye in a lot of years and well, that conversation is for a later time." She said as she looked around the house full of relatives and Marie nodded her head in understanding. Living in a mansion full of mutant teenagers, children and nosy adults taught you that no matter how alone you were you are never completely alone.

Mrs. D'Ancanto cleared her throat and, "Can you tell me about your friends?" Marie shook her head, " You mean Logan don't you?" Her mother noticed the hard edge in her voice and the defensive posture she suddenly took. She quickly said, " Not just him, but the girl in yellow and the brunette."

Marie was going to answer her when she and her mother were interrupted by an Aunt and Jubes.

Jubes had called down the stairs " Oh, Rogue we have to talk about your room décor!"

Her Aunt, the newly single one: "Rose, do you mind if I use your phone?" Marie and her mother knew she was just using that as an excuse to get a closer look at Logan. Marie looked at her mother and had to fight back the urge to hug her, " I'll have to tell you that story another time." Her mother nodded her head in agreement.

Marie headed to the corner where Logan was and jerked her head in the direction of her room and as they reached the stairs he reached for her hand and linked his fingers with hers.


	4. The FUneral Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**A/N:** See first chapter for summery and disclaimer.

* * *

Marie walked up the stairs with Logan's hand in hers and had to smile at the look at Jubes face as she studied her room decorations. " Oh, sweetie! I know you said you were helpless when it came to decorating, but this is beyond helpless." She said pitifully.

Marie wanted to laugh, to Jubes there was no greater sin than a bland house or an over-decorated one. It stood next to the one that said ' All fashion victims must be helped even if they don't want it.' Like she said earlier: she tends to grow on you.

"What's wrong with my room?" She heard Logan chuckle as they both looked at the surprised look on her face and Marie almost busted out laughing when she realized that Jubilation Lee was sputtering with disbelief.

" Yeah. I think it looks fine. It's got all you need: a bed and bathroom." Logan said. Jubes gave him a look. " Yeah okay, to you its perfect. You're a guy; you're used to living Spartan like. But she is a girl. Her room is supposed to reflect her personality and loves and likes. This room says ' Hello, I'm boring'."

Kitty sat on the chair at the vanity table and shook her head in amusement. If they thought this was bad try rooming with her for the last three years. Rogue got lucky, after several weeks at the mansion she was moved and she now lived with another female mutant that was furry and green so she didn't have to worry about her skin.

" I like my room." Marie said as she crossed the room to Wolverine, sat on his lap and wrapped one arm around his shoulders. His arm moved around her waist, locking her to him. Kitty and Jubes ignored it, after two years they were used to it.

Jubes gave another exasperated sigh. " You two are pointless."

Logan moved his head and whispered into Marie's ear. " Your Aunt is in the hallway."

Meredith Sands stood in the hallway, staring between the crack of an half way closed door and the space it was from the door frame, outside of her niece's room, who was related by marriage. ' Thank God," she thought, ' I don't think I could stand having that brat in my family.' When she saw Marie at the funeral she thought she had come alone, but then a girl in yellow came up, followed by a brunette and then Him.

She thought that he was just a stranger that had just come up on the funeral and then she saw him saddle up to Marie. Meredith didn't know who he was but she was determined to learn his name. Then she did, the yellow one was across from her, and she was one hell of a loud mouth, She called him 'Wolvie'. A bit weird, but it seemed to fit him. Wild hair, ridiculously long sideburns, and an animal appeal to him. In those jeans, they looked like they were painted on. She tried making little sound as possible. It would be embarrassing to have to explain why she was eavesdropping outside of Marie's room. She saw the man, Wolvie, lean into Marie and whisper in her ear. She watched as she called friends over and whispered into their ears.

" I can't wait to get back the Mansion!" Jubilee declared. " I promise to never, ever whine when Storm causes a cold front." Marie looked over at her, "Why? What's wrong with this weather?" She looked innocently at her friends and she felt Logan's chest rumble with laughter.

" It's to damn hot! In cold weather you can always put on more clothes, in hot weather you can't take any off without being ticketed for being indecent." She said as if she was talking to Marie for the first time. Logan got a sly look on his face and said loud enough for Jubilee to hear, " I wouldn't mind seeing you without any clothes on." He said to Marie.

They heard Jubes groan from inside Marie's closet, how she got there with out her noticing, she'll never know. " Oh, okay guys, that was an over share. I didn't need to know that." Marie held back her laughter as she watched Kitty roll on the floor in a laughing fit.

From outside they heard a loud thump; Marie shared a knowing smile with Logan. "Speaking of over share what do you plan on saying to the dick weed once we get back home?" Logan asked the girls. Jubes said she'd fry him, Kitty said she was gonna drag him to the room at the mansion that only opened from the outside, Marie said she was going to drain him dry after Logan. Logan said he was going to hurt him good for hurting the only other person he could stand.

Logan liked Storm, she never pried or nit picked until YOU felt like talking. Plus she never tried to talk him out of the weird relationship he had going with Marie. Never asked what it was about, hell half the time neither he nor Marie knew what it was about. To them it just felt right to be together.

Kitty cleared her throat, " So you never did tell us what Magneto said to you when you visited him." Marie's gloved hand worked its way into Logan's hair as she played with the strands. " Oh yeah about that. I was going to wait until my mom got here. She said she wanted to know about you guys and I figured that I might as well kill two birds with one stone. When we first got here, she had asked about my hair." Marie felt Logan's arms tighten around her.

Meredith slowly backed away from the door and walking quietly down the stairs. So he was a mutant, they all were mutants. And Wolvie and Marie were closer than she thought. ' How old is she again?' She thought. When she meet her three years ago she was sixteen. She cleared her head when she heard someone call her name.


	5. The Funeral Chapter 5

**The Funeral Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer:** See chapter one

* * *

Marie jumped when Jubilee slammed down a book, and threw her a glare. "What was that for?" Kitty snapped. Jubilee walked over to the bed where Rogue and Logan were sitting and she got on the end of the bed and laid down on her stomach with her head resting in her hands.

Marie looked at Jubilee in amusement and snuck a look at Logan. He looked irritated. "What the hell do you want?" he asked rudely. Jubes smiled serenely and ignored him, which irritated him further, and looked to Marie. " Rogue." she started in a sing song voice. Marie fought back a smile and said "Jubilee?"

Jubes worked her self into an Indian style sitting. "Remember when you mentioned that earlier we were going to get to eat. Hmmm?" Marie silently nodded her head. But before she could answer there was a knock on the door. "Come in." Marie called softly.

* * *

Mrs. D'Ancanto came in looking timid at the people in the room. She was unsure if they would be okay about going downstairs now that there are only a few people in the house, the rest left at least half an hour ago. She knew that they had to be starving, after all they had complained, loudly, at the funeral.

She looked around the room and for a few seconds her eyes stayed on Marie and Logan. They looked comfortable, her sitting next to him with her head on his chest and his hand resting in her hair. And the look on Logan's face made her a little scared, he looked menacing.

Marie's mother cleared her throat, "Just about everybody has left; only six people remain. I was wondering if y'all were going to come down and get something to eat." She was startled when, out of no where the brunette girl, was standing right beside her. "Oh, yeah, I could eat a horse." And quickly brushed passed her and into the hall. She turned to her left when she heard the squeaking of bed springs and almost had a collision with the yellow one, " Jesus Christ on a motorcycle, you betta have a buffet!" she announced she nearly tripped over her own feet getting of the bed.

Marie nearly busted out laughing at the look on her Mamma's face. All her life her father had forced her and her mother to go to church and never use the lords name in vain, so hearing some be so blasé about it, shocked her. Her mother cleared her throat again and looked at them, "Are you coming'?" Marie looked at Logan and then looked at her mom. " In just a minute, okay?" Her mother shook her head but looked reluctant to leave her daughter alone with the older man.

* * *

"You sure you wanna go down there?" she asked Logan. She knew he hated crowds and never was in one unless absolutely necessary. And she didn't want him going down there just for her, even if it is only six people. She felt herself being lifted and placed on his lap, he took her chin in his gloved covered hand, so her eyes were even with his. " I told you Marie, where you go, I go."

Ever since the accident with Remy, Logan has barley left her side. He said it was his fault that he didn't tell the Cajun bastard off, but he figured that he would listen to half the schools warnings about her skin. Apparently he is as slow as he talks. Remy had caught her unawares one day in the library and had touched a piece of skin that wasn't covered. He's been overprotective ever since.

Marie gave him a sweet smile and rolled her eyes. " That still wasn't an answer to a 'yes or no' question." She pointed out, she climbed off him and stood next to the bed waiting for him. His boots hit the floor with a loud thud. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her to the door and down the stairs. She put a gloved hand over the one that was around her waist as they made their way to the family that was left. She nearly winced when she heard Jubilee laugh. " I'd wish you'd let me kill her." Logan growled. Marie laughed, " But then I 'd miss her, and I'd be crying all over you about how I miss her. And I know you hate it when I cry." He didn't answer her, but instead dropped a kiss on her head and breathed in her clean scent.

He lingered longer than was necessary.


	6. The Funeral Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**A/N:** See first chapter for summery and disclaimer.

* * *

Logan looked wearily at the people that remained in the house. He would have rather told Marie that he wanted to go home and eat at their favorite B-B-Q place and then later take her to her favorite ice cream parlor, but this was important to Marie therefore important to him as well. Besides it wasn't like he was going to let her go by herself. Over his dead body would she go anywhere here without him. He looked around as he watched the two other loud charges talking and eating the food like well...animals. Oh, to be young.

He watched as her family moved quietly away from the girls and how some of them threw scandalized or disgusted looks and felt rage boil up inside of him. How could any of them turn their back on Marie? She was sweet and nice and kind and beautiful, and she was braver than hell. She hitched a ride all the way from Mississippi to Canada (Alaska?) with strangers and with the added danger of her being a mutant. Then she went and hitched a ride with him. His girl had some stones. He gave a snort and felt a surge of pride for the girl.

He saw a teenage boy in the corner giving Marie a glare that was part angry and part hurt, he wasn't dressed like everyone else, he was wearing jeans and sneakers and a T-shirt. The Wolverine picked up the scent of anger directed at her and he walked over to where Marie was at the table that was set up with food. He came up behind her and placed a hand at the small of her back and dropped a kiss on her head.

He leaned down and whispered, "Hi." Marie looked up at him and gave a small smile that was only for him and traced a gloved finger along the left side of his jaw. "Hi, yourself." He put his arm more around her waist, so that his hand was resting on her stomach and leaned down again. " Who's that boy in the corner?" Marie looked up from the ham slices and looked around.

She felt Logan's breathe move her hair as he said " The left corner in the living room." Just then Jubes and Kitty came over in time to her say " It's David." Logan noticed that there was some pain in her voice. The two girls noticed Wolverine's grip tightened on her waist.

* * *

Mrs. D'Ancanto watched the scene from the kitchen. She saw the way he seemed to hover around her, as if he was afraid that something was going to happen to her. And all the thoughts a mother had about something bad happening to their daughter came back in full force.

She saw the way that Wolverine put his arm around her daughter and how Marie touched his jaw, an intimate gesture that shocked her mother. She saw her daughter look up from the food and her friends eyes followed the paths that Marie's did, she watched as she said something and saw her friends get a surprised look on their faces.

She looked in the same direction. "David." She whispered in surprise. She turned to look at her daughter and her friends and saw that they had moved to a couch that had been vacated. She wondered if her daughter would tell her about her life now.

* * *

Meredith looked on with disgust as she watched the man and her 'niece'. Meredith was not one used to having to wait for what she wanted. It was usually given or taken. She took another sip of the tea and looked on. She knew that she was going to have to bide her time while they were here. She wanted this man and she was going to have him, no matter what.

* * *

I didn't think she would have the nerve to show up here. David thought angrily. He thought she wouldn't come, but he overheard some of her relatives talking about her and that she had brought some friends. David's eyes widen in surprise as he saw the scruffy looking man kiss her head and put an arm around her. He also noticed that both of them were wearing gloves, as well as the other two girls.

He had been here for half an hour and he already didn't like those girls, they were too loud. The one in yellow was sarcastic and filthy mouthed and the brunette one had a mischievous look in her eye. He watched as her mother moved closer to them and asks them a question and Marie nodded and her friends made room on the couch for her. For some reason the room was eerily quite.

* * *

Logan lifted his head as he heard feet moving their way and saw that it was Marie's mother. " Marie?" Her mother asked tentatively. Marie looked up from her plate "Hmmm?" Her mother clasped her hands together and took a deep breath. " I was wandering if it would be okay to tell me what you've been doin' this past three years." Marie passed a look to Logan and they seemed to come to an understanding. " Jubes, Kitty, could you please move down some?" The girls nodded their heads, " Of course, Rogue." Kitty said.


	7. The Funeral Chapter 7

The Funeral Chapter 7  
  
Thanks to all those who review my story, I need to eat somehow. ;) Oh, yeah, the story is in the movie story line. It takes a few years after Statue incident.  
  
Yay! I have a hundred reviews! I feel so loved. Okay people, I am going to try and do my best with this chapter and if it sux then you can flame me. Oh, and I am using both the movie and book for this.  
  
Okay since Marie is going to have to tale her tale about her time on the road, I started when she entered the bar in Canada, so most of this is what everyone knows and if you don't, get out of this site and buy the book and watch the movies.  
  
Oh, yeah. Thanks to all those that have stuck with my story, It really means a lot to me.  
  
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Marie reached for Logan's hand as she began to tell her tale. Her mother felt a dread fill her chest at the sight of her daughter clutching Wolverine's hand. Her mother listened as the minutes ticked by.  
  
"....I caught a rid with another trucker and he seemed okay, but one day we were talking and he didn't see the car that was stalled in the middle of the road he swerved to miss it and when he did his arm hit my face. He things I got from him..were horrible. He pickups young hitchhikers and uses them for fun. He had planned on doing some of things that he did to those people to me. I even know where he buried some of the bodies." The last part came out in a ragged breath and cracked voice. Logan made an audible growl as he picked Marie up and placed her in his lap.  
  
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Mrs. Knight held her breath as she waited for the rest of the story. Her hands were wrapped painfully around the throw blanket that had been slung over the couch. Right now she never hated her husband as much as she did at this moment. And she hated herself, for being weak and not standing up to her husband and not running and taking Marie with her.  
  
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'A what a crock of shit.' Meredith thought as she watched the man wrap the girl around him as if she were saran wrap. There was no way that Marie had been able to hitchhike all the way from here to Canada. Eight months on the road she could have gotten so far as Boston most likely. Of course Meredith wasn't listening to the first part of the story where Marie used up most of her money buying a ticket that could get her as close to Canada as it could on a bus. She jus shook her head and continued for the time being listing to Marie as she weaves her tale.  
  
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David, like the rest of the house, couldn't help but be pulled into her story. He suddenly felt sorry that his family had caused so many problems for her. But that little voice in the back of his head spoke up, ' Yeah, but she should have told you that she couldn't touch people.' Then the other voice spoke up and won all the rounds, ' But she was always touching people. It her mutation just decided to show up at the wrong time.'  
  
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Jubilee and Kitty left the sofa as Rogue told her mother, and consequently everybody else in the room, what she did when she runaway. They didn't need to hear it; they had her share her story the first night she arrived at the mansion. Plus with all the new students coming in, they kept hearing it. Everybody could recite everybody's runaway tale by heart.  
  
Instead Jubes dragged Kitty off to the kitchen were they found a small t.v. on a kitchen counter. Jubilee quietly squealed with delight as she noticed that it had a cable box. She ran to the counter and found that the box was still on and she turned the television on and sat down when Kitty brought chairs for them to sit in.  
  
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Marie took another deep breath and continued her story. " Luckily for me, he was getting hungry and decided to stop at a bar. I walked in behind him; I didn't trust him to try something then. When I entered I noticed a cage in the middle of the floor, I saw the back of a man and I saw another man being thrown. Every time he hit someone I would hear the sound if metal and I thought I was losing my mind." She snuck a peek at the Wolverine's face to see if he realized what she was saying. She slowly saw his eyes widen in surprise.  
  
"The trucker that was in the corner? The fat one? Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded. She nodded her head and she nuzzled her face into his chest as she felt his arms tighten around her painfully. Marie saw her mother's eyes widen in fear as she looked at the Wolverine's face. She didn't blame her. Marie might have been afraid of the angry look on his face, if it weren't for the fact that he had promised to protect.  
  
Marie cleared her throat and began again. " I was sitting at the bar, drinking a glass of water and looking at the jar that held the tips." She gave a small laugh, " I remember the note that was on it, ' Tipping is not a city in China.' I might have laughed if I wasn't so desperate for money and a new ride. I was watching the news when the man from the cage sat down a few stools down and ordered a beer. He was watching the news too, when the man he had beat in the cage came up to him and he started taunting him. We thought that he was going to leave but he turned around quickly and pulled a knife." Marie's hands moved down to cover those that were around her and squeezed them, silently asking permission if she could tell them about his claws. He squeezed her hands back.  
  
" The man had tried to stab him, but the fighter that beat him was faster and had a surprise. He had claws made of metal. I watched them come out of his hands, two on the side of the guys neck and the middle one coming out slowly. The guy who owned the bar came over to him with the shotgun and demanded that he get out of the bar. While he went to go get his tuff, I snuck into the trailer that held his motorcycle."  
  
Marie looked up at his face again and saw a small smile trying to curve his lips. She let hers show and continued. "He drove for a few miles before I felt the truck come to a stop, and felt the tarp being thrown off me. He told me to get out. I was embarrassed and angry and desperate and so I said that I was sorry and that I needed a ride and thought he would help me. He was going to leave me there and I asked where I was supposed to go. He said he couldn't help me. I asked can't or won't. He told me to pick one. I calling him a jerk in my mind and hoping that he loses his next match." Marie felt her smile get bigger and saw the confused faces on the remainder of the family.  
  
They were probably wandering what was there to smile about in this story. " He only drove a few feet before he stop his truck and waited for me. He didn't have to tell me twice, I knew that I would be safe with him. When I got in he ignored me for all about five seconds before I started asking him questions. He asked what my name was and I told him Rogue." Everybody looked at her in question. She stared at her hands and explained. " It is kinda a thing for mutants who are disowned or given to the school to rename themselves. I chose Rogue for my mutation. ShadowKat is named that because she can phase. Cyclops is named that because he has to wear a visor for his vision. It keeps us separate and helps us remember if we get to comfortable about who and what we are. Anyway, He asked me what kind of name is Rogue and I asked him what kind of name was his. I thought for sure he was going to ditch me then, and he told me his real name and I told him mine."  
  
She turned around which caused Logan to open his legs and she sat between them, she lightly stomped both of her feet to wake them. She winced a little at the pinprick feel she felt. Logan reshifted his arms so that they were still around her. Marie leaned further back; her entire back was pressed along his chest. She smiled when she could feel his chest rise and fall with his breath.  
  
" I had make a crack about his trailer and told that he should wear his seatbelt, when out of nowhere we crashed into a tree. He went through the windshield and landed in a snow bank. I was starting to get scared that he was dead, I mean he went head first from the windshield. I was stuck in the truck and seat buckle stuck. He woke up and had a huge gash in forehead that was healing by itself. Then out of nowhere a huge beast through itself at Him. The huge beast had thrown him on to the front of the truck and he wasn't waking up."  
  
She stopped for a moment and picked up her tea, she hadn't realized how dry her mouth had gotten. She took several long gulps and put it back on the coaster on the table, another of daddy's rules. " His cigar had flown to the back of the camper when we had crashed and had caught some of his clothes on fire. It was getting closer to the propane tank. The seatbelt wouldn't budge and I thought that I was going to die in that camper. Then all of a sudden the snow picked up and the beast looked down the road and there was two people standing in black leather."  
  
She heard Jubilee laughing in the kitchen and had to wander what it was Kitty and Jubes was watching. Then she remembered that their favorite part of her story was coming up. She said excuse me to her audience and yelled out, " Jubes, KitKat! Your favorite part is coming up!" She heard the sound of chairs scraping against the floor and the sound of running feet.  
  
" Their favorite part?" Logan asked. He had arched one eyebrow. She gave a shy smile and shook her head.  
  
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Well? How was that chapter? Let me know if it suck and I can try and fix it. As it said at the end of the Matrix: Reloaded-To be concluded.. 


	8. The Funeral Chapter 8

The Funeral Chapter 8  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned them, Rogue and Logan would be shagging right this moment. ; P  
  
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Marie looked up into the doorway as she heard her friends come to the living room. They had to push each other out of the way so one of them could fit in the doorway. Kitty phased through and got the only available spot on the couch. A 'damn it!' could be heard from Jubes. As she came closer she pointed at Kitty, " That's cheating." And sat down at her feet.  
  
Marie smiled fondly at her friends. As much as she hate to admit it, but she would miss them if she ever had to leave them. Marie was snapped out of her revere when Jubes snapped, " Well, get on with it." Her smiled widened. Yeah, she loved her friends, well she thought of them more as her sisters.  
  
" Anyway, the best looked down the road and then all of a sudden a red beam appeared and shoot the best back into the woods. It was a man and a woman in the leather uniforms. The woman was dark skinned with white hair and the other was a white man with a visor of some sort. I was scared, I didn't know what they wanted and I was afraid that they were going to the man behind. The man with the visor opened my door and I told him that I was stuck. He put his hand to his visor and a red beam appeared and it shattered the seat belt. They helped me out and grabbed the man before the camper exploded."  
  
She was about to start up again when the doorbell rang and Jubes sprang up. They all heard "Pizza delivery" muffled though the door. They heard the sound of the door being opened and shut and Jubes came back with two pizzas. Logan looked at her both eyebrows arched this time. " What? I got hungry again." And sat back down and handed one to Marie, it was a large, and it was half cheese and half sausage and pepperoni. She threw back her head and laughed. Marie reached for the meat side, while Logan reached for the cheese. Marie always found it funny that he chose cheese as his only topping especially for a man who loved steak.  
  
Around a mouth full of pizza, much to her mothers cringe, and began again. " When we reached New York, I was brought to a school, and the man was brought down to the med lab. He was there for a week. In the meantime the Professor enrolled me in some of the school classes. The white haired women's name was Storm; the man with the visor was called Cyclops and I meet a few students named Iceman and Pyro and ShadowKat and Siren. Everybody was nice and sweet to me, it almost felt like I belonged somewhere."  
  
She reached down for two more slices of pizza and handed one of them to Logan and took a drink before starting up. " When the man finally woke up the professor told him to give him two days before he took off to help him find his past. The first night that he slept in his room, I couldn't sleep and I heard the man having a nightmare and went to go see if he was okay."  
  
" When I went into his room he was twisting and turning in his bed. I tried waking him up with my voice, I called myself an idiot because I forgot my gloves and couldn't shake him awake. All of a sudden he bolted up in bed and he just stared at me and I remember that my vision was getting a little fuzzy and dark around the corners. He had woken up with his claws out and accidenlty stabbed me. I barely remember him calling for help and I remember raising my hand to his cheek and touching it. Next thing I know he on the grown twitching like a bug and I'm well again."  
  
Logan's arm around her waist tightened almost painfully at the memory. " I was in the yard sitting on a bench when Iceman came up to me and told me that everybody was afraid of me and that the Professor was furious at me and that it would be best for everybody if I left. I later learned it wasn't Iceman but a woman named Mystique that had taken Iceman's shape and told me to leave. I was at the train station and snuck on a train, I had no money for a ticket and I had no idea where it was going.  
  
" I was sitting in a seat when the man came up and sat down next to me and asked me if I was running again. I told him that a boy at school had told me that everybody was mad me. I knew what he was going to say before he even said it, and I didn't know what to do. He said that he thought that I should go back and give it a try, because this Professor seemed to really care about my kind and that was really rare for us. I didn't want to go back but at the same time I knew he was right. That school was probably the only place I would be safe."  
  
" I told about how my mutation manifested itself at a very inconvenient time and how that he was still in my head, how it was the same with him. He told me that if I went back with him that he would take care of me. I asked if he promised and he said promised. The next thing I know the train jerk and the back of it started to split into two and sparks and fire flew from it."  
  
Mrs. Knight saw that her daughter's hands had come to rest on her male companion's hands and that her knuckles had turned white. " A man wearing a helmet had levitated himself onto the train and the man next to me stood up and asked him what he wanted with him. I remember him laughing, god I still hear his laughter in my nightmares, and he said " My dear boy, whoever said I wanted you" and he turned to look at me."  
  
" You? Why would he want YOU?" Meredith asked her voice laced with disbelief. Marie moved her head to look at her ex-aunt. She took a deep breath. " Next to the Professor and two or three other mutants, I am one of the most powerful out there."  
  
The next person who asked a question was David, which surprised everybody. "Why are you considered powerful?" Marie turned her attention to him. " Because I can kill with out leaving a trace and if I were ever captured by the government or people who like to use and sell dangerous mutants, I would be sold to the highest bidder as an assassin. The government would love to get their hands on me and breed me with a mutant that is as powerful and try and get a perfect soldier. With my skin and whatever mutant the father might be would be unstoppable."  
  
Marie looked at her mother and the rest of the family and saw that the realization of the situation finally settled in their minds. As much as people feared mutants, there are those that would use them as soldiers and science experiments.  
  
"How do we know what you are saying is true?" Meredith asked. Marie looked at Logan and he put his hand out towards Jubes and she moved and sat on the arm of the couch. He flexed his hand and out popped three twelve-inch claws. Everybody but the three girls gasped in fear and disbelief.  
  
This time it was Logan that spoke up. " Because it happened to me. They cut me open and poured a metal that can't be broken and used me as a mercenary. I lost my memory and only remember the last fifteen years." A loud metallic sound was heard as he retracted his claws.  
  
"You are the one in the story?" Mrs. Knight asked. She had finally put the pieces together, she suppose she should have sooner, but hey she was tired so sue her. Logan just shook his head.  
  
Mrs. Knight noticed that Marie was rubbing the spots where the claws came out. She turned her head and buried it into his neck for few seconds and inhaled his sent and turned her head to look at her mother as she continued her story. She felt Logan bury his face in her hair. " Magneto, the guy with the helmet, could create magnetic fields and control metal, threw Wolverine to the back of the train and I got up to get to him but I felt something stick me in the neck."  
  
"The next time I woke up, I was strapped to a machine that was placed inside the flame of the statue of Liberty. Magneto was there and so was Sabertooth, the beast that had attacked us before. He had asked me something," Marie got a faraway look in her face, " Asked me if I had ever seen the statue of liberty. He said that America was supposed to be the land of tolerance, but that there is no land of tolerance. I remember thinking well what do you know, you are to busy trying to kill off all the normals. I remember looking at the dead boatman and asking him if he was going to kill me. When he answered me it made me kinda frighten and calm at the same time. He needed me to take his powers because the machine is going to kill me when he activates it. I remember thinking at least I don't have to be around to see the results of his madness.  
  
She shifted around more so that she was sitting sideways in Logan's lap and had her head resting on his chest. " When the machine started I remember pain. Lots a pain, especially in my hands. The power had burned my hands on the hand rests that kept me connected to the machine. I could feel it draining my life from me and it scared me, to death. Combined with Magneto memories of the Holocaust and the machine I'm surprised I lasted as long as I did. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was Wolverine's face. He had destroyed the machine and Cyclops had hurt Magneto. Then all of a sudden I felt a rush of life flowing into me, Wolverine was giving me his reginitve powers and bringing me back to life." Marie gave a laugh full of amusement and mirth. " There is a constant war between David, who hides in a corner and Magneto and Wolverine. Magneto wants me to change the world and start a war and Wolverine wants to kick Buckethead's ass. I'll tell yo..."  
  
Marie's eyes glazed over and she had a vacant look on her face. Her mom looked on in alarm; "Marie?" she was going to shake her but Logan stopped her. " What's wrong with her?" she sounded frantic. Everybody else in the room too was looking at Marie in alarm. "She's okay. Rogue's just having a chat with the Professor." Meredith look on in exasperation. " How in the hell is she talking to the Professor?'' This was becoming more complicated than she needed.  
  
Logan looked at the woman in distaste. " The Professor is a telepathe. He gets in our heads and asks if it's okay to talk to us. Sure as hell beats talking on the phone." Jubes and Kitty noticed that Marie's eyes were unglazing. " What'd he say, Chica?" Jubes asked, as impatient as ever.  
  
Marie looked at her mother. " He wants to talk to you. He didn't tell me what, but he want to know if its okay." Her mother looked at her in surprise. 'He wants to talk to me. What about?' ran through her mind. She must have nodded her head in agreement because Marie's eyes were glazed over again. She turned to look at her mother again. " He's in the jet, so he should be here in a few minutes. He was on his way back home from visiting a family about enrolling their son into his school."  
  
Marie watched her mother's classic way with dealing with stress: cleaning. She started to clean up the mess that was around the house and at the same time trying to fix her hair. Marie knew what the Professor was going to ask her mother. They had recently taken on some infants that had been dropped off at the mansion and they needed someone that had experience raising kids and they both thought that she was perfect for the part. Of course excusing the part about where she was weak with her father, she was an over all good mother who tried her best to instill manners into a daughter that would have rather playing tag than piano.  
  
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Well what do you think? Constructive criticism welcomed. 


	9. The Funeral Chapter 9

The Funeral Chapter 9  
  
Note: Sorry it took me so long but I put something to at least hold over until I get back from holiday.  
  
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David sat in the corner and waited for Marie to be alone so that he could talk to her. He saw the man she was with get up and go to the restroom, and was about to go talk to her when the brunette sat down and started to talk to her. He took two steps and he faltered at the third step and returned to his corner.  
  
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Logan had stepped outside and was waiting for the Professor; at least that was what he told Mare. In reality he needed to get away from all the people and smoke a stogie. He let lose a satisfied sigh as he inhaled the smoke and flavor of the cigar. His mind got to wandering about what he was doing here. He had said that he would go with her as protection incase any body got any smart ideas and attack her. But then the other two retards decided to go with her, mainly out of self-preservation from Storm.  
  
But he couldn't for the life of him explain his behavior. He had never been affectionate with anybody so freely or openly in public. He didn't know if it was good thing or a bad thing, if she could make him behave like that with out thought, then anybody could catch him off guard. People like Sabertooth and Magneto and anybody else that wanted a fight with him or that damn thing that is popping up all of the place, purity control.  
  
Logan had taken another drag of his cigar when he heard the footsteps. The belonged to a woman and he could smell the expensive perfume and hairspray. "What ya want." He demanded his voice turning cold. He felt her move to stand beside him; he felt his aggravation with her rise. "I was wandering what you are doing out here, Mr.....?" Meredith let the last piece open. She was hoping that he would give her a different name than what the girls were using. She knew from past experience that most men fall for her charm, it was how she snagged her last husband.  
  
He took another drag from his cigar and blew out the smoke and answered her still looking straight ahead. "Wolverine." He felt like telling the woman out right that he didn't find her interesting and that maybe she should go away and leave him in peace. But he didn't, he didn't because he didn't want to cause anymore problems with her family then already existed.  
  
Meredith was a little put off by his behavior, but she knew she could work him, all it took was time. But considering she was on a time restraint she had to work fast. She turned towards him, her low cut dress giving him a great view of her cleavage. Logan hid a smirk as he realized what she was doing, it was a ploy that all women he had come across in bars had used on him, and generally it worked. Until now, now he had Marie and he wouldn't do anything to make her turn from him. And truthfully, he didn't think he could stand it if she left him, even if it was to date someone.  
  
"Wolverine?" He realized that Meredith was calling his name and realized that he had drifted off, but before he could say anything, an expensive car, an old Royls Royce, came up the driveway. "Excuse me." He said, then yelled out "Marie! Professors' here!"  
  
He got up and leaned against the post that was near the stairs and waited for the Professor and from the looks of it, Storm and Jean. He heard Meredith walk into the house in a huff.  
  
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Marie had been long since abandon by Kitty. Marie was now helping her mother pick up around the house. She carried one of those black garbage bags and was emptying paper plates and plastic forks and napkins into it. She felt someone tap her on the shoulder and turned to look, it was her mother. "Yeah?" Her mother looked at her, "Can I talk to for a minute?" Marie nodded her head and her mother led her to a corner of the kitchen and sat down on the two chairs that were there.  
  
Marie sat in one, and waited for her mother to start as she fused with the hem of her skirt. "How come you didn't wear a skirt?" Marie looked away not in shame more like uncomfortable. "It would have been to big of a risk." Her mother tried again. "You could have worn a long skirt or pany hose or tights." Marie shot down each one. "The wind could have picked it up or tangled and someone could have accidentally touched me and I could have gotten a run in them." Her mother had a look on her face; "Do you always wear jeans and gloves?"  
  
Marie shook her head and a sad look came over her face. "Yes, I have no desire to add to the personalities that are populating my head at the moment." Her voice was bitter. For the first time her mother took a real long look at her daughter and what she saw made her wander how she could have missed the changes. Her face looked not old but wry, as if she was tired. Her hair apart from the obvious white streaks had grown longer and was down to her waist. But her eyes, her eyes are what made her mother hold her breath.  
  
They had the look of innocence and the look of someone who had seen all the horrors in the world. She wished now more than ever that she could turn back time and stand up against her hypocrite husband and tell him that their daughter was saying. She opened her mouth to say something but instead of her voice being heard, Wolverine's voice was coming into the house. She saw her daughter perk up at the sound of his voice and watched as she quickly headed to the front door.  
  
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By the time Marie had reached Logan, the Professor and Jean emerged, and to Marie's surprise, Storm. Jean had her read hair in a french twist and was wearing as usual a red skirt suit, looking as elegant as always. Storm was wearing was a sky blue summer dress that stopped at her knees, and the color was perfect in setting off her skin and hair. And the Professor, he was as usual immaculate in his tailored suit and tie. They made an interesting picture as the two beautiful women flanked the man in the wheel chair.  
  
"Hey, Professor." Marie greeted. He looked at her and gave her a kind smile that was full of affection and amusement. She knew what amused him, three of her family members remained, as the other three had left claiming that his was to much drama for them, was staring out the window. Also the fact that Logan had somehow slipped his arm around Marie's waist with out her knowing.  
  
Marie gave a rueful smile and turned to the professor. "Are you ready to go in?" "Yes." Marie let Logan go in with the professor and watched the people who were looking out the window gasp in awe as Jean helped the Professor levitate his chair over the stairs and onto the porch.  
  
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what do you think? 


	10. The Funeral Chapter 10

The Funeral Chapter 10  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Pixie Flyer--I don't know I used Meredith, I was trying to think of a name and Meredith came to me. And Tigressong, I'm sorry I disappointed you.  
  
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Marie hid a smile as she watched the remaining people look at the Professor in awe. She wandered what they were thinking when she mentioned that the Professor would be coming over, did they imagine someone who looked so obviously a mutant? She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the wheelchair settle with a quite thump.  
  
She heard the sound of pounding feet and smiled when Jubes and Kitty came running through the door and nearly ran into the Professor. They both gave a squeal when they saw him and the girls joined hands when they saw Storm and Jean behind him. Both girls planted kisses on his baldhead and Logan smirked while her and Jean and Storm laughed as a faint stain of pink appeared on the Professor's face.  
  
"Hey! It's not snowing! It's not snowing and Storm is here." Jubes cried. She was jabbed rather roughly in the ribs by Kitty. "What!?" She looked at her annoyed. She didn't get it, she said that 'Ro was here and it wasn't snowing, so that must mean she wasn't angry anymore. She heard Storm give a delicate chuckle, Jubes didn't know someone could chuckle delicately but she did.  
  
Marie lead the way up the stairs and the two women followed. Storm stopped near the two teenagers and said, "Yes, young ones. I am here and it is not snowing. I am no longer angry." Kitty and Jubes exchanged worried looks, " Is he still alive?" Kitty asked in a whisper. This time the weather goddess gave full belly laugh. "Yes, he is still alive" and walked to the screen door that Jean was holding open for the Professor.  
  
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The people in the house stared in awe as the two beautiful women entered. Both so very different and yet so much the same. And for a moment Meredith felt threatened. These two women were not like the others that were around here. They were poised and elegant and sophisticated looking, she didn't like it. They made her fell like she was some tomboy that decided to wear a dress and pretend to be a girl.  
  
Her attentions were turned to Marie and she looked like she belonged with them. For the first time she noticed that her movements were fluid, like a dancer and that she held her head high and that she no longer slumped her shoulders. She stood proud and tall, like a queen with the other women. She slinked into the shadow and watched.  
  
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Marie found her mother in the kitchen looking out the window, wringing her hands in her apron. "Momma?" She asked gently. Today had been a big day full of revelations and a funeral. Marie shook her head, had it only been today, only, what, six hours since she buried her Daddy? Her mother looked at her, " What does he want me for? Do you know?" Marie shook her head, "Yes and it's gonna be okay, trust me. The Professor is a kind man."  
  
^Rogue, May I come in? ^ It was the Professor. Marie told him it was okay and walked out of the kitchen as the professor wheeled in to talk to her mother.  
  
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I'm thinking of doing a few more chapters before I finish this. 


	11. The Funeral Chapter 11

The Funeral Chapter 11  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
***  
  
Marie laid a hand on the Professor's shoulder as she passed him. She looked up and saw Logan and her two friends; she walked up to Logan and stood in front of him. "She gonna be okay?" He asked her, she knew he was referring to her mother. She nodded her head and grabbed his hand and stood beside him, "Yeah, she's gonna be fine. The Professor just has a question for her." She felt Kitty grab her hand and squeezed it, she gave her a small smile.  
  
***  
  
"May I call you Rose?" The Professor asked kindly. Rose nodded her head and twisted the napkin that she had in her hands. " I don't know how much your daughter has told you about me, so I'll start with my name. I am Professor Charles Xavier and I run a school for gifted youngsters, and by gifted I mean children who are mutants. This school takes in children who are runaways or children whose parents wanted them to be safe."  
  
He stopped and waited to see if she might have any questions for him. He was telling the truth, he didn't know how much Rogue had told her mother and even if she did tell her everything, he thought it safer to go over everything again.  
  
"She said that the school is pretty much like that a non-mutant would go to, with a little differences. What did she mean by difference?" She really wanted to know and the picture her daughter had painted for her left much to be desired.  
  
Xavier gave her a patient kind smile and continued. "Yes, my school is very much like that of a normal high school. The two woman that are with me work there. Storm teaches history and Jean is the medical doctor of the school." Rose nodded her head; "Storm is the one with the white hair? And Jean is the red head, right?" Xavier nodded his head; pleased to see that she was unconsciously leaning who was who.  
  
"They are both mutants as well?" He studied her face for a moment and realized she really was interested in knowing. He slipped into her mind quickly and found that she would rather have had Rogue her with her than letting her husband kick their only daughter out.  
  
"Storm is a weather mutant, or as the children at the school and her tribe called her 'weather goddess', she had the power to manipulate the weather to however she wants it." He saw a little understanding come over her face. " Is that what the one in yellow meant, when she said that she would have stayed in New York except that there was cold front, I think it was."  
  
Xavier gave a wide grin and shook his head, "Yes. Storm was having a personal problem with a young man named Gambit and her motions caused the cold front." He saw her give a small smile and nodded her head to herself as if she was making a mental inventory. " And the doctor, Jean? What cans she do?"  
  
The Professor felt himself relax as he realized that she would not be scared of him or the others. He sensed the genuine curiosity from her and the felt the need from her to want to be part of her daughter's life no matter how small the part may be. " Dr. Jean Gray, she is like me, a telepathe and telekinetic. We can move things with our minds and talk to people with our minds. She is engaged to another one of my former students, Cyclops."  
  
He saw a confused look come over her face. " How come just about everybody else has a nick name except her?" Xavier gave the truthful answer, and even after all this time he still didn't know why she didn't choose a name for herself and said as much to Rose. He decided he spent enough time getting her comfortable and then went into why he is here. "Rose, the reason I came here is because I would like to hire you." Puzzlement was so obvious on her face; " Hire me?" it came out slow and disjointed. "Yes, the past couple of months we have taken on some infants and new born babies. I have been lucky in that two other students' mothers have agreed to help take care of them. We have at least fifteen infants and that is too many for two helpers and I was hoping that would like to come to the mansion and help look after the children"  
  
" Why would you want me? I mean, I stood by while my husband threw our daughter out the house, I'm the last person who should be taking care of a baby." He heard the self-loathing in her voice and felt pity for her. She was the product of old school rearing. In the time when mothers taught their daughters to obey their husbands and be the good wife in making sure that the dinner was always on the table by the time he got home and that the house was always clean.  
  
" I chose you because now your husband is dead and if you worked for me, you would be able to see your daughter any time you pleased. You would have free room and board if you took care of children. " The Professor didn't like to play dirty, but he was desperate. Everybody was taking care of the children, including Rogue and Logan. Those two were his only saving grace because they both suffered insomnia from time to time. But taking care of the babies was taking its toll on the whole staff. People were becoming irritating and moody. Including him and he didn't like that.  
  
"That's all I would have to do, is take care of children. Making sure that they are fed and bathed and are getting enough sleep?" Xavier nodded his head, and he mentally crossed his fingers. He watched her as she shook her head and said yes.  
  
*Rogue, she said she would come to work for the mansion.*  
  
***  
  
Marie was listening to Jubilee and Kitty's conversation when she heard the Professor.  
  
" So you're saying you would choose Colin Ferrell over Orlando Bloom and Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp?" she said disbleivingly.  
  
Kitty looked torn. " Can't I have them all?" Jubes shook her head. " Nope. I'll say it again if you had to choose someone when the world was coming to the end to procreate with which one would you choose?"  
  
Marie was laughing hard at the look on Kitty's face and the grunt of annoyance that Logan gave, but her laughter was cut short.  
  
*Rogue, she said she would come to work for the mansion. *  
  
Marie gave a squeal of joy before she turned to the others and gave them the news.  
  
***  
  
TBC..  
  
Well, was that okay? Let me know if you didn't like it, but do it nicely. 


	12. The Funeral Chatper 12

The Funeral Chapter 12  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Note: Sorry it's been so long, I've been in Land Of Denial. In case you don't know what that is, its a little heaven for us that miss Buffy and Angel fanfic. Oh yeah Xavier said it himself "The students are mostly runaways." He said it in the movie when he was explaining everything to Logan.  
  
***  
  
Logan sat back on the couch and tried not to wince at the sound of their squealing, but despite it all a small smile managed to break lose as he watched her smile brighter than he'd ever seen. And he was happy for her; she had what she has always wanted since her mutation showed up, her mother. But through the happiness he couldn't help but feel like she wasn't going to need him as much. It had only been a few years since they've known each other and yet he had become, unwittingly, dependent on her. Oh, not in the since that he couldn't do anything without her, but more in the since that she had become an extension of himself and that he didn't want to lose her.  
  
Logan hated thinking like that and stood up with a loud stomp and headed to the front porch to smoke a cigar. This was why he preferred living by himself, he didn't have a chance to get attached and he didn't have to worry about anything else.  
  
***  
  
Marie's squealing was interrupted when she saw the scowl that was working its self on his face, at first she dismissed it as him being annoyed with all the squealing, but then she saw him stand up and the loud stomp of his boots made her pay more attention. His entire body was rigid with tension and he seemed to be angry with himself. She watched him make his way to the front porch and start to smoke a cigar; his movements were jerky and angry.  
  
Marie excused herself from her friends and walked to porch, and as she approached him she wrapped her arms around herself and just stood silently by him for a few seconds.  
  
***  
  
Logan heard her footsteps before he heard the screen door creak open and slam shut. For some reason his stomach decided to wrap itself in knots and he didn't like that. From the corner of his eye he saw her come stand beside him and wrap her arms around her self, and with her that close he could smell the perfume that she used and how well it blended well with the perfume.  
  
He remembered why those smells mixed so well together. It was a rainy day, he remembered and they were both bored and she was going stir crazy. She finally told him that they were going out and didn't tell him where. When he got there he wished to hell he did, she dragged him to the mall. There she was picking out shampoos and perfumes and lotions, and she was picking all the wrong ones.  
  
He even told her as so, when she asked him how he knew he ignored her. Instead he stalked around the shop making the sales girl afraid of him and the other half drooling over him. He picked the perfumes and shampoos and lotions that smelled like her. He was snapped out of his reverie when Marie called his name.  
  
***  
  
"Logan?" She said his name softly, and she remembered that last time she said his name like that. It was the night when he was having his nightmare and she forever gained a piece of him in her. She saw him nod his head in acknowledgment. " I know it's almost time for your trip back up to Alkali and was wondering if you could not go."  
  
His cigar stopped midway and for a moment Marie thought that she overstepped her bounds. "Why?" To an outsider it may have looked like he could have cared less with the one word questions but over the years Marie leaned that it was his way of protecting himself against anything he might not like. Marie took a deep breath.  
  
"Because I've decided to be selfish and have you around while my Momma makes her self comfortable at the mansion." She held her head high, for two reasons: One was that she didn't like being selfish and two she wanted him know that if he said no that it wouldn't hurt her.  
  
Logan looked at her, a smirk on his face. " And just how is that selfish?" He didn't see it as selfish; he saw it as someone who wanted support and a shoulder to lean on and wanting to have someone who understood you no matter what around during an awkward time.  
  
"Its selfish because I want the one person who means the world to me to be around while me and my mother get to know each other again and I want her to get to know you as well." Logan wound one arm around her shoulders and drew her closer and she rested her head on his shoulder, content for the time being to listen to his heart beating.  
  
He threw the reaming cigar on the porch and stomped it out. " Why me?" This time it was her arms that made their way around his waist. The two of them just watched as the sun leaked out of the neighborhood and dark shadows started to make themselves known. " Because you were the first person that I trusted and who didn't want anything in return and the first person to make me promises and keep them." ^And because I love you^ she silently added.  
  
Slowly Logan nodded his head and then said okay. Its not like he could ever deny her anything any way. "I'll stay until your mom gets situated. Its not like Alkali won't be there in a couple of months." He felt her turn her face into his chest and he felt the grin she was wearing when she said thank you.  
  
***  
  
A couple of hours later Marie Kitty and Jubes had managed to get her mothers clothes packed and as they waited for the X-jet, Marie couldn't help but think that maybe in along while things in her life might be going right. Rose on the other hand was nearly bursting with nervousness and happiness. She was going to be able to help out other mutants that were like her daughter and she was going to be able to at least make a shaky construction to healing the relationship she once had with her daughter.  
  
All in all it looked like it might be a new beginning.  
  
***  
  
Okay people, I think I'm done with it. I want to think everybody who stuck with my sorry excuse for writing and actually liking it. I loved reading all the review I got, I even saved them, and I'm a dork I know. I'm having a few ideas for a new Logan and Marie story, so I might be posting here again. Wish me luck. 


	13. Writers Note

Writers Note:  
  
Okay, I wasn't excepting something like this. Okay for starters I made the ending sound like it was a beginning of something because it is; it's a beginning for everybody but especially Marie and her mother. Can you tell I took a philosophy class in school? If anybody wants to they can write a sequel, they can, just let me know. Who knows maybe sometime in the future I might write a sequel.  
  
Ta-Ta,  
  
VivianeAeryn 


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